Tale as old as time ...

"Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly ..."

There is more in this classic fairy tale than the usual damsel in distress and happily ever after.

Originally written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, this Disney animated classic is [should] definitely [be] a part of everyone's childhood.


Belle is more than a beautiful lady with the kindest of heart. She may not have been born with a golden spoon and a tiara but Belle definitely deserves to be a princess. More than her demure and finesse manner, her captivating beauty, her undying love for her father, and her ability to see the goodness in everyone, Belle is notable because of her love for knowledge. Belle is a bibliophile!

Unlike Cinderella, Aurora or Snow White, [who could afford to have the Library of Congress inside their castles -- with the dwarfs and fairy godmothers helping them], Belle is just a common villager. Living her life within her means. So, she just usually borrows books from the local bookstore just around the corner.

Gotta love reading
And when the time came that his father left home and never came back and she needed to look for him, she found this majestic but dark castle where she found her father locked inside a room. There she also found the beast, whom she eventually learned to like and love and, the beast, in return, gave her a surprise.

Which of course, is a big big library [aside from the happily ever after, of course]!


There may not be so much magic in the whole story, but the love story is a magic in itself.  It captivates every audience. It is a good family entertainment. It is a spectacular story. A classic that one will always remember and would love to reminisce. And that's for sure!



"Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme,
Beauty and the Beast"
**DISCLAIMER: Pictures taken from Google.com. I don't own any of them.
/dmarco





4 Response to "Tale as old as time ..."

  1. Zarah C. Gagatiga says:
    December 10, 2010 at 11:33 AM

    darrel - just an observation on the prince, a rich noble, has all these books. while people down yonder have to contend with a small and old book shop.

    reading is a right. and it is for all.

  2. dmarco says:
    December 10, 2010 at 1:40 PM

    Ms. Z - thank you for that insight. it is true that reading is a right and everyone deserves that right.

    although unfortunately, the plot of Beauty and the Beast did not emphasize much on that, instead it focused on Belle's love for reading, which I think is good if we look through that perspective.

    we cannot deny the fact that social stratification exists even in fairy tales. the prince's status is not much different from what we experience today. many students still share a single book.

    to reiterate:
    reading is a right. it is for all. let's not stop until every child has his/her own book in his/her little hands. :)

  3. Anonymous Says:
    December 10, 2010 at 3:48 PM

    I never read that as a kid. Haha.

  4. dmarco says:
    December 10, 2010 at 3:51 PM

    Haha! Nabasa ko naman sya, the Disney version. Inaagaw ko kasi sa sister ko. Princess eh! :P

    I read the original version though, when I was already in college.

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/dmarco